Devon second on 'loneliness list'

By Jonathan Morris
BBC News South West

Mr Emanuel-Jones said urban and rural lives were massively divided

Research commissioned by the BBC puts Devon second behind London in an "index of loneliness", or anomie in England.

But some live a bleak existence in the rural county, renowned for its cream teas and beaches.

Devon businessman Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, the boss of The Black Farmer food brand is also behind a scholarship which gives inner-city youngsters a taste of the countryside on four-week secondments to farms.

And he knows the challenges those youngsters face in their new environment.

He told BBC News: "When I do my black scholarships one of the things they find it difficult to adjust to is the silence.

"In an urban environment there's always something going on.

HOW THE STATS WERE GATHERED Number of non-married people Number of single person households Those living in private rented accommodation Recent migrants Based on figures from 2001 Changing UK report (1.31 MB)

"And for people coming from an urban community it is a question of how they adjust to the pace, the customs and practices.

"People romanticise rural living, but some people can't actually cope with the reality."

He said that fitting in was not a problem for him because of his wealth.

"People were surprised because I was the first black person they had seen.

"But the privilege of being a successful businessman means it doesn't matter what other people think."

He said the results did not surprise him.

"If you decide to come and live in this part of the world the first thing that you find shocking is that there is nothing to do.

"The largest town here is Launceston. That closes at 2pm on a Saturday.

"If you want to go to the cinema you have to travel 40 miles away.

"There's no bus and no trains.

Every child at school should go and visit a farm and experience what's going on in rural Britain Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones

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"The very basics that an urbanite would take for granted."

He added: "You have all these outside distractions in the city, but when you have so much time on your hands you have to come to terms with who you are as an individual.

"That's why I think it's a massive shock for some people."

Other countries showed more connection between urban and rural dwellers.

He said: "The biggest problem we have in this country is this massive divide between urban and rural.

"Rural Britain has been abandoned by our urban cousins because all the attention is on the problems of urban communities.

"There is also a lack of understanding about what rural Britain is all about.

"Every child at school should go and visit a farm and experience what's going on in rural Britain.

"Until that happens rural Britain is going to be seen as irrelevant."

The roses-round-the-doorway idyll can turn sour for some

He said Devon needed to become more dynamic and less like "God's waiting room".

"Devon needs fresh blood and new ideas.

"Councils are going to have to be more entrepreneurial in their outlook.

"Some of them are stuck in the 20th Century."

Eileen Wragg, Devon County Council's Champion for Elderly People, who represents their concerns to the council, said that if Devon was "God's waiting room", the waiting could be very difficult for some.

"Those that have retired think of cottages with roses around the door, but it is a very different story," she said.

"If a couple's partner dies or is seriously ill and they have moved away from their family they find there is no-one to look after them.

"That's when help is needed and people are isolated. It can lead to a bleak existence."

ENGLAND'S LONELIEST PLACES: 1. London: 32.4% (2001) up from 22.8% (1971) 2. Devon: 29.1% (2001) up from 20% (1971) 3. Cornwall: 29% (2001) up from 19.7% (1971)

The social glue of post offices, schools, churches and village halls were vital to retain a sense of community, she said.

Younger people and the elderly also felt isolated by the lack of transport.

"Concessionary bus passes have helped, but they are of little consequence when there is only one bus a week."

New measures such as a pilot Senior Council for Devon, which aims to help connect elderly people to community groups, were helping ease isolation.

Dr Dimitris Ballas, who helped carry out the research by Sheffield University, said: "Many people may come to Devon for the quality of life, but if they are newcomers they may not know many people around them.

"It takes a while to feel that you are part of a new area."

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